AEFJN blog

Food sovereignty

Food sovereignty is a concept defined by the right of people to healthy and culturally-appropriate food produced through ecologically-sound and sustainable methods and the right to define their own food and agriculture systems. In this section you will find materials on seeds, multinationals in agriculture, speculation leading to food price increases, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), on Genetically Modified Organisms (OGM) and on the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

Land Grabbing

The global need of land and its resources (water, plants, timber, minerals) is intensified by increa-sing global demand for food and fuel. This leads governments and private investors to look for cheap resource-rich land close to infrastructure. This land is often taken from farmers who are the traditional users. This phenomenon is called ‘land grabbing’ and contributes to poverty and social conflicts.

Land grabbing happens on all continents, but 60% of it takes place in Africa. Host governments tend to welcome investors hoping to benefit from land sales. They offer fertile land with easy access to water and infrastructures.The contracts rarely include conditions protecting the interests of local communities. In this section you will find a series of materials on land grabbing and biofuels.

Water

Access to water for farming, raising animals and fishing is just as essential as access to drinking water. Although three out of four Africans live off agriculture, such access is becoming more and more limited. In this section you will find articles on water grab, the recognition of access to water as a human right and on water as a source of life.

The financialisation of nature

International Year of Family Farming - 2014

The United Nations have declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. Family farming represents a sector of strategic value because of its economic, social, cultural,environmental, and territorial functions. The women and men engaged in family farming produce 70% of the world’s food.